Scales of Fate
by Tiny Ginger
Summary: Darius is given a chance at retribution by Arceus after a fatal car accident puts him in a coma in the real world. Yanked from his comatose body and into the world of Pokemon where he has to "regain memories", he is trusted to befriend these creatures and save them from death roe. Nuzlocke. T for deaths and minor swearing. Two possible endings. You decide the ending.
1. Retribution

"_**Scales of Fate**_**"**

A tiny ginger fanfiction

**Chapter 1: Retribution**

_Darius's POV_

There is a dull rhythmic noise all around me. I can hear everything like static. Everything is a blur around me. I can't even entirely grasp what is going on, other than that minutes before I was smashed in a car accident, slipping into what I can only imagine this to be—a coma. I want so desperately to open my eyes, to tell my family that everything is alright. Except, my body will not respond. It is as though I am floating in darkness.

My soul suddenly turns in this astral dark realm as a glowing light emanates before me. I don't understand what's going on. It's then that the figure in the glowing light takes form, a giant centaur-like creature with a golden cross-like wheel sprouting from its back. It lowers its head at me and I'm swimming with confusion.

"W-What are you?" I ask as I blink in the light.

"I am a god if you will. I am here to offer you some retribution to compensate for everything that has happened to you." The creature speaks, but its mouth doesn't move.

"Do you have a name?" Why is this the most important question I can think of in the presence of a god?

"Yes. My name is Arceus. I come from a world away from yours, but I can offer you to come to this world. A world that is full of peace and happiness."

I blink hesitantly. "What's in it for me?"

"You'll be alive." I feel like I see some kind of twisted emotion in the creatures eyes for a split second, but I shrug it off.

"If I can escape this dark void, then surely it is worth it to do as you say and take this chance for retribution. Alright, I accept."

"Easy as that?"

"Easy as that." I nod my head, feeling confidant in my decision.

"Alright. I will inform you that this world is full of creatures like me. Some are powerful gods like me, others are weaker creatures. In the world there is ultimately one goal among the humans: to become a champion. The only problem is that the Pokémon as they are called, can die at the hands of these human trainers. Your goal will be to reach the Pokémon league and challenge the champion to claim your place as a champion." The creature grins at me and I'm suddenly uneasy.

"Wait, can I take that back? I'm starting to like this world a little better now. You know, just me and the dark void."

Arceus shakes its head and laughs. "You've made your decision. It is time to act upon it."

"W-Wait!"

The darkness and the light fade away and everything goes numb.

-_ –

[ ]

Grass tickles my cheek and I groan. I stretch out my limbs and am shocked to feel whole. I place my hand in front of my face and get to my feet excitedly. My body is responding to me. Maybe what that Arceus said wasn't such a bad thing. I mean, he seems seriously powerful and he's granted me a second chance. I couldn't be happier if I tried.

It's then that I take notice of the backpack to my side and the red and white sphere attached to my waist on a little ball and chain. I touch the sphere and can feel coolness pulsing through it. My hand tingles as I grasp it in my hands. I observe the sphere in curiosity, before pushing a small button on the center. The ball expands and I throw it in confusion.

I shield my eyes as the sphere lights up and a small blue and white creature that resembles a penguin chick from my world appears. It rubs its flippers against its eyes and blinks up at me yawning.

"So, what are you?" I ask as I poke the small creature in the side of the head.

"Piplup." It yawns at me. It then reaches into my backpack and pulls out a strange red device. "Lup." It hands me the device with its flippers outstretched and I take it hesitantly.

"Um... thanks." I turn the device over in my hands, trying to understand it.

I press a small green button and the device begins talking in a mechanical voice. "I am Dexter. I am the Pokédex belonging to trainer Darius Holden: Age 16. Hair color: dark brown. Eye color: amber. Pokémon: 1: Napoleon the male Piplup. For further help, tap the left button twice."

My head is reeling. What the heck. How does it know so much about me and apparently my—what is it—Pokémon? I tap the left button twice and it springs to life once more... except this time it isn't Dexter that's talking.

"Welcome to the world of Pokémon Darius. That there Pokédex can help you out a lot. Here, let me clue you in on what you've missed out on here in the Pokémon world. In this world, you have no family. Your only "family" is Napoleon there. You received him from a professor a couple weeks ago. He's used to your colorful moments of "amnesia". I've explained to him a lot about you."

"Arceus." I whisper as the voice continues. It is as though time itself is standing still. Nothing around me is moving. The only thing that I am sure of in this moment is the voice of Arceus coming from the device in which it should not be emanating.

"That's my name. Don't wear it out. A lot of trainers tend to do so once they come to par with the knowledge of my existence. Quite honestly, not many people do. Anyway, here's something very important for you to know Darius. Pokémon engage in things called battles. They pit themselves against other Pokémon via the commands of trainers like yourself, or as in the case of wild Pokémon, on their own. If your Pokémon gets wiped out by another Pokémon in battle, it will die. Make sure you use healing items on them as much as possible. I have made it so that you cannot buy revives due to the black marketing of them and the fact that they turn your Pokémon into zombies.

"The last thing I need is to rule a world with zombie Pokémon." His voice is hollow, almost mocking.

"The other thing, you are only permitted to catch the first Pokémon you see on each route. If you kill it, well then no other Pokémon from that route for you. Those are the rules in which I want you to abide. You can store your excess Pokémon in a PC box. Consider that your saving grace, Pokémon that are with you must fight by your side. Pokémon that are in the PC box are considered free beings. They do not have to engage in battle unless you choose to make them.

"Also, I want you to gain a deep bond with the Pokémon you embark on this journey with, so do give them all nicknames so you can be familiar with them. Over time I will grant you the ability to speak with these creatures and understand them thoroughly. Treat them as though they are your family. Your goal is to save as many as you can without them dying."

I can almost here the snideness in his voice and I feel like I'm choking. I can't help but wonder if it's the pressure of all that is happening to me. I wonder if this is like some kind of dream or reality. I pinch myself and it sure feels like reality, but the last thing I knew I was in a coma. You don't just come out of those. That's something short of a miracle.

"Alright." I nod my head and reality comes rushing back. Dexter is silent in my hands and Napoleon is grooming himself with a flipper.

"So, Napoleon, what all do you know about me?" I ask as I tilt my head at the little penguin.

He puts a flipper to his cheek and then begins spouting a bunch of "pip"s and "lup"s. I just stare awkwardly at him, scratching the back of my head in disdain. There is obviously a huge language barrier between us.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand a word you are saying. So I guess what I have to ask is what do we do now?"

The Pokémon points its flipper around the route and I take notice of several other Pokémon in various places doing their own little things. He then digs in my bag and pulls out a ball like the one he came out of. He pretends to throw it and then pretends like he is getting hit by it.

"We... catch a Pokémon? Is that what we do?" He nods his head, brimming with pride.

"How do you not know what to do? Are you having another bout of idiocy?" A trainer with blond hair, tan skin, and peach colored eyes mocks me with his arms crossed.

"Excuse me, do I know you?" I stare him up and down and he huffs before smirking.

"Of course you do. I'm your rival, Gavin. Best of the best don't you know?"

I figure I don't like this asshole and look down at Napoleon.

"Let's ditch him and carry on." Napoleon makes a noise like a laugh before nodding his head and following me.

"Hey, get back here. You owe me a battle Darius."

Now that I can presume that the trainer does know me and very well is my rival by the bitterness in his voice when he spits out my name, I turn toward Napoleon, Dexter still in hand, and do the only thing that comes to mind—pout.

"I don't want to battle you."

"You can't decline a battle. When you look a trainer in the eyes there is no declining a battle from them." Gavin snaps.

I look down at Napoleon and he nods his head in dismay. Well fine then, I guess I'll just have to learn as we go. Napoleon takes waddles in front of me, his flippers flapping at his sides.

"Lup."

Gavin tosses a sphere and a green and brown turtle comes flying out. It smirks at Napoleon and bobs the little leaf atop its head. I'm beginning to think these creatures are like "aliens" from our world.

The Turtwig as it is called, begins tucking into a ball as Dexter calls out Napoleon's attacks. Several Withdraws from Turtwig and Pounds from Piplup later—the battle ends. I find myself to be a pretty good trainer as Piplup only took one Tackle in the time it took him to overkill on Withdraws.

Given that he barely had any damage, I was brimming with confidence. That would show Gavin. Surprisingly, to my utmost surprise, his Turtwig did not die in battle, it just got back up and shook itself off before being returned to the capsule.

Gavin eyes me warily before shrugging his shoulders and calling out a "See you later".

My head still reeling, I point the Pokédex at Napoleon, having learned during the battle with Gavin that this gives a more detailed description of the Pokémon that are captured. It begins spouting out that Napoleon has a lonely nature. I blink as tears suddenly come to my eyes at the thought that my Pokémon I can catch can and will die if I don't take good care of them. I do not wish to let anything happen, much less to Napoleon.

"Come here little guy." I motion to my lap as I sit on the grass of the route, not caring in the least that there are wild Pokémon around and that we should probably get moving.

Napoleon clambers up into my lap, gazing up in my eyes now that I am closer to his height. I reach out and draw him into my lap. My fingerless gloves come to rest on his head and around his waist. I stroke his head fondly as I choke back a tiny sob.

"I won't let you die. No matter what." I tell my very first Pokémon.

I don't know what shocks me more, the chance for retribution, or the fact that everything in this world is as real as everything in mine. The grass is the same texture. I can smell fires burning in the distance. Like a real penguin, my Piplup feels kind of feathery and cold—almost wet—to the touch. The Piplup—my Piplup, reaches up a flipper and flicks my tears away.

"Lup. Piplup. Pip Pip Piplup." He smacks himself in the chest and waves his flippers in the air as if to inform me that there's absolutely nothing wrong. That he is strong and strong willed and will carry out his duty to the best of his ability.

I just hope I can carry out mine. We get to our feet and scan the route some more and I realize I don't have the faintest clue what I'm supposed to be doing. I suddenly keel over as Arceus seems to flash bits of information to me. Something about gym badges and a regional town map that is supposed to be in my backpack.

Fishing into my backpack, I find the map and a case to put the badges into. _"Badges are the keys to the league."_ Arceus echoes. I frown before pocketing the badge case back into my bag and staring at the map. A sign juts out not far from me informing me that I am on Route 201.

"So, will we be able to catch a Pokémon on this route?" I ask my Piplup.

Napoleon shrugs and points all around us. He proceeds to point further down the road to a blue building in the distance. I get to my feet and shield my eyes from the sun. I can't quite make out the lettering on it, but that place must be of importance.

"So we go there first?" Piplup nods and we begin the trek to the blue building in the distance, neither of us knowing the real ideals behind the fate we are partaking in.

-_ –

[ ]

**Me: **Welcome to my first installment of a brand new adventure fiction/Nuzlocke. This story is not for the weak of heart as it will be very morbid, especially with the twist of fate at the end. It is essentially going to be a choose your own ending fiction. As the story starts to draw to a close you will understand just why I say this.

Meet Darius, sent to the Pokémon world from the real world by the mysterious fate of meeting Arceus. However, it is not just a coincidence that the god chose Darius to embark on this journey for a chance at retribution. Was Darius' decision a bad one or a good one? Well I guess you'll just have to read to find out. ;)

Anyway, just the slightest bit of background information into this chapter. Darius is still in a coma in the real world, his soul has just been essentially split and carried into the Pokémon world by Arceus. Darius keeps suffering from "little bouts of amnesia" because he has few memories of anything occurring in the Pokémon world before he woke up in the grass. He was even shocked at the fact that he had a Pokémon.

Napoleon is used to these "little bouts of amnesia" and tries his hardest to distract Darius from the fact that Napoleon is truly a lonely Pokémon. He cannot communicate (yet) to Darius very well, so he has to make do with a lot of gestures. In the next chapter (slight spoiler) Darius is in awe at the Pokémon Mart and comes to terms with the various items on display. His eyes land on collar-like devices that are known to translate Pokémon speech into that of humans. He shrugs his shoulders at them and informs Napoleon that he will understand him of his own accord.

Napoleon is pretty shocked by this, but feels content in the knowledge that his trainer wants to understand him on his own. Arceus stops time and informs Darius of the decision he has made, telling Darius that the minute he has a full team of Pokémon he will be able to understand them in the plainest of English. Darius cannot contain his excitement and is brimming with joy and pride at the thought of having six of these wonderful creatures.

So yup. I don't want to break out anymore spoilers, so let's just see how this goes. I'm actually doing a Nuzlocke run on my Platinum just to give this some more meaning. Obviously I didn't write out Darius and Gavin's first battle because of simply how boring it was. Gavin spammed Withdraw on his Turtwig and Darius just kept making Piplup Pound the heck out of him. I didn't even need to utter a Growl. Turtwig only got one Tackle that barely did anything in before he was down and out.

Next chapter we start catching Pokémon also and expanding on Darius' family of Pokémon. I hope you all enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it. Yet again, this story might require you to grab a box of tissues as no matter the outcome you choose, it won't entirely be a happy one. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I love you all in a friendly way. ^^

~Tiny Ginger aka Heather


	2. Sandy and Sassy

**Chapter 2: Sandy and Sassy**

We are almost to the end of the route when a female Bidoof comes rushing up it. She looks kind of like a plump brown beaver from my world, but the Pokédex lists her as a plump mouse. Napoleon shakes his head at her and she pouts at him. I don't understand what this strange display is until I realize that the Pokémon and him have already met on this route and by some strange twist of fate, due to this we cannot proceed to capture her.

"So, we cannot add her to our team?" I ask. Napoleon shakes his head. "Do you want to battle her then?"

He puffs up his chest and points to himself. I can see he has a tad of an ego problem. I laugh it off and wave towards the Bidoof with a small "have at it".

Napoleon Growls at the Bidoof. She frowns and tries to Tackle him, but he sidesteps out of the way and Pounds her in the face. Frustrated, she aims her small body at Napoleon. He barely takes a knick of damage from the attack. She tackles him again and he intercepts with a Pound attack. The Bidoof falls to the ground, blood seeping from her wounds. The odd thing about it though is that she seems to still be alive.

"Hey Arceus, why is it that I seem to the be the only one capable of having Pokémon that can die?" I frown to the heavens.

"I told you this is retribution. Consider it karma, if you will." Arceus' voice floats towards me and I can almost imagine him staring at his polished nails if he were a human god, waving me off.

"That's not fair." I protest. A sharp wind is the only sign that my words have been acknowledged.

Napoleon tugs on my pant leg and I glance down. He waves his flipper and then points between me and to himself. He pokes himself again proudly and I understand. He's saying that he vows to protect me no matter the consequences. My fate is literally in his flippers.

"That's not how it is supposed to be." I place my hands on my hips and furrow my brow. "I'm supposed to protect you."

He points to the road and makes a splitting motion. So it's a two-way street. I sigh and pull him into my arms.

"I won't let you down Napoleon. You are my very first Pokémon and so I must protect you as well. Do you understand?"

He nods his head. He knows about the potential of him dying, yet he's willing to fight by my side. My heart is aching as I look down at him. I cannot and will not let him die. I come to the strange analogy that in some way he is like a brother to me and in yet another, due to him being so young, he is like a son to me.

I brush the thought out of my head and carry on to the Pokémon Mart as I find out it is called. I push open the door and peer inside.

Rows upon rows of shelves are lined with various items that say different things. Like Potions which are for healing a Pokémon's HP, also known as Hit Points—how much damage they can take; Antidotes which cure a Poisoned status; Parlyz Heal which snaps a Pokémon out of a paralytic state; etc. There are also things called Poké Balls. They are the little spheres that contain Pokémon, apparently coming in various types under various names.

It appears I have 3500 yen. Poké Balls cost 200 yen, Potions cost 300 yen, Antidotes 100, and Parlyz Heal 200 also. I buy 8 Poké Balls, 3 Antidotes, and 5 Potions. The professor I apparently don't remember meeting gave me a TM called Return which is supposed to power up based on how much friendship you have with your Pokémon. I decide to save it for a new teammate.

As I glance around the mart I also stumble upon some things called translators that can interpret Pokémon speech to that of a human. As I gaze at them I shake my head.

"I wouldn't waste my money on something like that. I want to be able to understand you guys on my own." I beam at Napoleon and he gazes up at me with shock in his blue eyes, before he grins back.

Time suddenly stands still and I furrow my brow. Arceus materializes in front of me, and I shake my head in confusion.

"Why are you here?"

"Why are you asking me such a simple question?" He smiles broadly. "I am here because of your desire to turn away from the device that could break your language barrier. So I will give you this valuable piece of information. When you have six Pokémon on your team, even if they wind up going to a PC box later on, you will be able to understand each and every one of them. This is something you can look forward to."

"How come whenever you appear time stops around you?" I furrow my brow, content with the knowledge I've received, but eager for more.

"Because I am a god. Gods do not just merely appear in front of anyone and everyone. I mean, come on, you are here for a reason are you not? That reason is because of me is it not? That is why I appear to you alone for the time being. Besides, all of your Pokémon will have been familiar with me. I created them after all."

He raises his mighty head and I stare in awe at him. He is quite literally the god of Pokémon. All of the little creatures that might die at my hands were born because of him. Something hits me like a train and I feel unease settle into my gut.

"Wait, if you created them all, then why are you planning to take them away?"

"Retribution." He says, as if that word holds the answers to everything. "Everything I do derives from retribution. Why, did you know that a Pokémon named Dialga aids me every time I appear? He's the reason time freezes around me—he controls it. He is also, in some sense, a god like me. You see, every being that is somewhat close to my level of power is known as a legendary. We legendaries are essentially gods. What we give, we can take away. We keep the world in balance if you will."

"Then why kill innocent creatures?" My fists are balled up at my sides now.

"Tut tut child. What I give, I have the right to take away. They are of no match to my power. The are of no match to the power of the legendaries I command. We are gods and they are peasants. They serve me until I decide they are of no use." The laughter in his voice makes my blood run cold.

"You are sick, Arceus. You're an evil god." I shout and aim a fist at him.

"Good and bad are human concepts, dear child. To each their own. I advise you not to try to hit me in your anger. Bad things can come of ill will." He dodges and disappears before my eyes.

Time crawls back and I frown. My Piplup is tense by my heels and I sigh. I shake my head to clear my thoughts and grin at my uneasy penguin.

"Hey, don't worry about me. I'll be fine. Why don't we do some training before we add to our family?"

Napoleon's eyes twinkle as he nods his head. He chirps happily as we make our way out of the Pokémon Mart and down Route 201. I've learned so much from my Dexter in the few hours I've been here that I now know that Pokémon Centers, often found near marts, are a trainer's best friend. They can heal an injured Pokémon back to full health.

Napoleon is really strong and a fast learner/teacher. He teaches me his preferred battle style. He likes to fight. We fight several Bidoof and Starly (a small black, gray, and white bird) along the way. Each of various strengths. After taking out a male Bidoof he learns the move Bubble.

We finally manage to trek up to Route 202, the hopeful home of our first new ally. As we creep through the grass, we spy a male Bidoof, waiting in the grass. He tilts his head as I raise up from the grass and challenge him to a battle. Napoleon gives him a good pound to the head before I enlarge a minimized Poké Ball. I order another Pound, to which Napoleon is confused, and watch in horror as the small Bidoof keels over.

"Fuck!" I yelp. It is apparent I am no good at this catching thing.

"Pip... lup." Napoleon slaps a flipper to his head and I sigh.

"Next time warn me that its weakened enough." I sigh and pocket the Poké Ball. Napoleon is shaking his head.

As we start to advance up the route, I find there are many trainers nestled in it, just waiting for innocent trainers like myself to stop and battle. The first trainer I encounter has a Starly, and is more than eager for this battle.

"Start it off with a Growl." I command.

Napoleon opens his beak and lets out a small wail. The Starly mimics him. I issue another Growl as the Starly rushes Napoleon with blinding speed in a Quick Attack.

"Strong little guy, huh?" The other trainer laughs as his Starly tackles Napoleon leaving him with very low HP.

"I'll say," I spray a Potion at Napoleon and his wounds stitch up quite a bit.

Napoleon winces as the Starly swoops in for another Quick Attack and it's a critical blow. He proceeds to use a Quick Attack again as a follow up after we strike him with yet another Pound. I decide it's time to Growl again, just in case. Then I spray another Potion at Napoleon as he's weak in health again.

"I can't be too cautious." I say as Napoleon slaps a flipper against his chest in a "no worry" way.

Starly growls as we get his HP in the red. He strikes with another Quick attack and then is finished off by a Bubble to the face courtesy of Napoleon.

"Nice. You're strong. Really strong." The trainer, Tristan, grins at me.

"Thanks." I grin back. I scoop up Napoleon and trek back to the Sandgem Town Pokémon Center.

Once we're all healed up, I trek back up the route and we come face to face with a Shinx. She smirks and I sigh. Shinx is an electric blue and black lion cub. Two Pounds later we move on and begin training up against the wild Pokémon a little more. I wave at Tristan as we pass him by. We're barely halfway up the route when a girl runs up to us.

"Hey trainer. I'd like a battle if you'd please." She smiles and I nod shyly. She has a really short skirt. I mean really short.

Smack! I frown at the little penguin who grins up at me as if to tell me to get my head in the battle.

"Bidoof I choose you." The girl calls as her female Bidoof waddles onto the field.

"Napoleon start this off with Bubble!" I shout.

Napoleon opens his beak and tiny Bubbles smack the Bidoof in the face. She takes them then Tackles through, hitting Napoleon in the chest. I issue a Growl and the Bidoof Growls in turn. Napoleon then Pounds her in the face after she Tackles him in the chest. Napoleon Pounds her again. Yet again she launches herself at him in a Tackle. One more Bubble seals the deal and the Bidoof is out for the count.

"Aw man. I can't win." Natalie, the girl with the Bidoof, closes her eyes and sighs, sinking down against a tree.

"You tried your best. You'll be able to win if you just work on your Bidoof a little more."

"You really think so?"

"I know so." I assure her and she smiles.

"Thank you so much. You're very kind." She smiles as I bid her farewell and head further up the route.

We take out another Bidoof, before we run into yet another trainer.

"Let's battle, but I'm gonna win." The trainer is full of himself.

He sends out a Pokémon I've never seen before, a Burmy. It is cloaked in leaves. I issue a Pound and it uses Tackle. One more Pound and it's down and out.

"Wow, you must have talent if you beat me." Logan boasts.

"I guess so." I shrug my shoulders as we walk along.

We take out one more Bidoof, before we make it off the route. Napoleon is level 10 at this point. We find ourselves entering into Jubilife City. It is then I bump into the psycho international police officer, Looker.

"You there! How did you know who I am?"

"I beg your pardon." I step back as the guy launches himself from behind a light pole.

"I knew you were extraordinary the minute you caught my eye. Your observation skills are fearsome. The fact that you just approached a man like me and made conversation, how wonderful."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I take another step back as he eyes Napoleon.

"And such a lovely Piplup. Now that you've blown my cover, allow me to introduce myself. I am a globe-trotting elite of the International Police. My name... I cannot give to you, so I shall inform you of my code name. My code name is Looker. It's what they call me. Are you familiar with the phrase "Don't be a thief!"?"

I gape at him. Is this guy serious?

"Well are you?"

"Yes."

"Good. Taking what belongs to others is wrong. Unfortunately, a lot of people do not heed these words. In Sinnoh, in fact, there are criminals stealing the Pokémon of others. I'm on the lookout for characters arousing my suspicion. You're a trainer, right? Maybe you can wipe them out. If you happen to see me again please do not talk to me, for I am on duty. Actually, do talk to me. You must! Not because I am lonely, but because you must inform me of bad guys."

I blink at him as he darts off, hiding behind light poles as he runs.

"What just happen?" I ask Napoleon. He raises his flippers in a shrug.

"Anyway, let's look around the town. I'm sure there's somewhere of interest here."

I head to a building that says Trainers' School on the side. It appears to be a school centered on educating idiot trainers like myself. I enter the building and am shocked to see Gavin taking notes in a chair. A teacher is monitoring a couple of battles that a student is recording. The student waves at me exclaiming I should partake in a couple battles too.

"Alright then." I nod my head.

The first trainer I fight is a boy named Harrison with a Starly. I start the match with a Growl. He issues two Quick Attacks and I issue two Pounds before the Starly is down and out.

The next battle is with a young girl named Christine and her Bidoof. I start off the match by healing up Napoleon. A Bubble to the face doesn't stop the Bidoof from ramming Napoleon in a Tackle. Napoleon raises a flipper and Pounds it. She proceeds to Growl at him. One more Pound and she falls over. Napoleon grows to lv 11 and I can only shudder at the thought of trying to catch a Pokémon by weakening it now. Most wild Pokémon are well under lv 5.

After I beat Christine, Harrison gives me a Potion as commemoration. They are apparently the strongest trainers in the school. Gavin rushes up to me explaining that the first gym in the circuit is in Oreburgh and that that is where we should head first. I shrug my shoulders and head out the doors after he plows through them.

We run into another crazy man who makes us chase after clowns to get Coupons in which we exchange them for a Pokétch, a high tech watch.

"Are all the humans in this world crazy?" I ask Napoleon. He shrugs his broad shoulders and I sigh.

I can't help but wonder why people litter Potions and other items here and there on the ground in the world. Especially when they're still full. I wonder if they just fall out of the overflowing backpacks of newbies like myself.

It appears the time in the Pokémon world is currently 3:58 pm. The clock has a calculator and a handy HP checker that displays the Pokémon on your team. I set the watch to the clock setting and head north past Jubilife to Route 204.

"We are going to catch something right here, right now." I exclaim.

Napoleon chirps at me and I frown.

"Yeah I know I said that last time. This time I mean it." A female Bidoof waddles up to us, grinning at us from ear to ear.

Napoleon rolls his eyes. Another Bidoof. These things are everywhere. But I don't care, my heart is pounding at the thought of getting a brand new teammate. So excited and scared that I'll defeat it before we can catch it, I throw a Poké Ball at her. She dodges and Tackles Napoleon.

"Hey that's not fair. We never attacked you." I shout. She rolls her eyes as my Piplup tries to explain to me that this is normal.

The second Poké Ball hits her again, only this time she is sucked into it.

One shake... My heart is pounding in my ears.

Two shakes... Please tell me she won't escape.

Three shakes... I feel like my blood is boiling in my veins.

Four shakes and a ding confirm I'm not a complete idiot. I beam as I grasp the sphere in my hand. Her body temperature doesn't give off anything through the sphere and I realize it must be because she isn't of a fire or water type. Her body temperature is neutral.

I toss the Poké Ball and she sails out.

"Welcome to the team Sandy." I respond as I rub behind her ears. She makes a small squeaking noise in response, grinning up at me and then scampering off to play with Napoleon.

We trek up the route a little more and run into a girl with a Shinx. The Pokemon's looking pretty snide, but I can tell it is still too young to have any built up electricity in her fur. On the other hand, I have a Bidoof and a Piplup. That Piplup happens to be a tank.

Napoleon rushes the Shinx with a Pound. She proceeds to Leer at him. How coy. I issue another Pound. The Shinx Tackles Napoleon head on and he flies back a little ways, digging his small feet into the dirt of the field and aiming a Bubble at her face. She surprisingly faints.

The next trainer on the route has a Magikarp, and I figure we can take it out with Sandy alone. A good first battle for Sandy to train, given that all the Magikarp knows is Splash. Then again, all Sandy knows is Tackle. She's just level 4. My little rookie.

The battle is one I do not wish to relay. It was just a bunch of Splashes and Tackles. Nothing more, nothing less. Sandy didn't take a knick of damage.

We run off into the grass to train Sandy a little. Her first opponent is a Shinx. I spray a Potion at Sandy when her HP gets low so she doesn't die. I wish I could go my whole journey without a single death to any of my Pokémon.

Sandy gets to fight a wild Budew, which boosts her ego a bit. Budew have healing moves at a young age. Sandy nearly gets wiped out by the little guy though when he scores a critical hit Absorb on her. Towards the end of the battle the Budew just spams Growth attack. I applaud Sandy as she grows to level 5.

A kind resident of Jubilife City gives Sandy a Quick Claw to help out with her battling capabilities.

No sooner than we make our way onto Route 203, Gavin challenges us to a battle. He's confident in his Starly and Turtwig. I become confident when Sandy (still level five) takes on his level 7 Starly on her own and deals a critical Tackle to him. His Starly becomes cocky, by Growling so much and dodging her attacks with Quick Attacks.

"Hey Darius. It looks like you're struggling with that Bidoof of yours. What are you going to do?" Gavin sneers.

"This. Tackle again Sandy!" I shout as Sandy slams into the bird.

I'm silently crossing my fingers for a crit, however the crit is from Gavin's Starly and nearly takes Sandy out. I spray her with another Potion as Napoleon fluffs up from the sidelines, wishing he could take Sandy's place and show the Starly why you don't mess with our teammates. Finally, after nearly getting taken out by several Quick Attacks, Sandy wins the battle and reaches level 6.

I switch her out and send out Napoleon. The ego wars continue between our very first starter Pokémon. I start the battle with a Growl and Gavin's Turtwig starts it off with a Withdraw. Another Growl and another Withdraw later, I'm issuing a Pound. Gavin strikes back with Tackle. Napoleon smacks Turtwig again, only for Turtwig to duck down and Withdraw.

"Your Piplup isn't doing quite as well as he did in the first battle we had." Gavin sneers.

"That's cause in the first battle we weren't faced with the potential of this kind of strength." I shout.

I order a Pound and Turtwig balls up in a Withdraw again. Another Pound and another Withdraw. I get frustrated. The battle is dragging on.

"Quit Withdrawing." I shout.

"Quit Pounding." Gavin laughs.

Napoleon smacks Turtwig again and it retaliates with a Tackle. The battle proceeds to like this five more times before Napoleon takes Turtwig out and reaches level 12.

"I can't believe I lost again!" Gavin's hands are in his hair. He is furious. "This is the last time I'm losing. I'm going to be the very best and you know it. I'm going to beat the gym leader of Oreburgh right now." Gavin shouts and rushes off down Route 203.

"Whatever you say," I cup my hands and yell after him.

I wander onto the Route and my eyes cloud with annoyance. The very first Pokémon we run into is yet another Bidoof.

"Arceus, you have got to be joking me!" I shout. There appears to be a ripple in the wind, almost like the god himself is laughing at me.

I send Sandy out against the furry mouse beaver. I am convinced that is also a joke programmed into the Pokédex by the god somehow. I sigh and throw another Poké Ball at the small mouse. We catch her too. I name her Sassy.

Sandy is Impish, but a little vain. Sassy is Careful, preferring to relax. Sassy meets her fate in the box, as I have no patience to raise two Bidoof at the same time. I almost feel sorry for her, she was level 5 when we caught her, but I lose my remorse. I figure this is my way of saving her, considering Sandy nearly killed her.

Arceus must be mocking me, because the next Pokémon we run into on that very route is an Abra. Abra is a Psychic type that has a _very_ strong Psychic lineage. The sun is sinking in the sky and I am very aware that I will not be catching a fourth Pokémon unless I pick up the pace a little. I'm almost too eager to hear my Pokémon speak to me in English.

However, the sun's sinking much faster than usual today. My clock reads off that it is already 7:50 pm. I shake my head and sigh. I pull a sleeping bag out of the backpack that I have no recollection of how I obtained. I roll it out, away from the grasslands near some pavement between Jubilife and Route 203. Napoleon and Sandy are out of their Poké Balls—I refuse to leave them in them due to how I too am fairly lonely. Even in the real world I didn't have very many friends. However, it is apparent that this world is just as real as my world. Didn't Arceus say something about his world being another world?

"Sandy, Napoleon, come here." I beckon to them and they scramble over.

"Lup?" Napoleon glances at the sky and I nod.

"Yeah. It's night time. We might as well as settle down and try to sleep. How's that sound guys?"

"Pip." "Doof." Sandy and Napoleon agree, though Sandy's "Doof" sounds more like an "Oof" as she sprawls her little legs out after wiggling into the sleeping bag with me. Napoleon edges in to and I don't mind the fact that half my body is cold and the other is neutral from my Pokémon.

That night I dream of something called evolution that happens to a Pokémon and changes them to give them greater strength. I am truly mesmerized. It appears that the dream is actually a memory of something I have been told, as I'm soon to find out.

-_ –

[ ]

**Me:** C'est la vie. Bidoofs, Bidoofs everywhere. It appears that every route thus far that Darius has trekked on in Platinum would have given him a Bidoof as a starter thus far. Whether it is good or bad luck, in this Nuzlocke repeat captures are okay (meaning no matter what the first Pokémon on the route is, so long as it isn't legendary, we will attempt to capture it). Next chapter we backtrack to Route 204 to trek to the cave there and partake in a battle with the last trainer on that route.

Sandy will have gained some experience through the next chapter as well. Sassy, well we may see her again in the future, but at the same time let's hope not too. If I have to dig her out of the PC that means that a teammate has probably fallen and she'll be their replacement.

And unlike all my other Nuzlockes I've ever partaken in, I will make this one a success. I will not get wiped out around the second or third gyms... Nope. Not this time. Otherwise the story will die, because I need to get to the league before you have the potential to take the ending of the story into your own hands.

We're half of the way to finding out just what the Pokémon on the team say. Bare with me.

Also, Sassy was one Pokémon shy of being an Abra. I kid you not, the second Pokémon I saw on that route was a female Abra. I would have named her Lena. Though Arceus is such a twisted god I am amused we didn't get Lena. If you can spare a moment, please review. It would help me greatly.

Also many thanks to oloop for adding Scales of Fate to their favorites and following the story. I'll try not to let you down. ^^

~Tiny Ginger aka Heather


	3. The Love that Blinds Me

**Chapter 3: The Love that Blinds me**

I was awoken by the sound of Starly chirping in the trees around me. I could feel the rhythmic heartbeats of Sandy and Napoleon, half confused at first thinking that everything was just a dream. The fact that I even had a dream last night meant Arceus really was a god. And a powerful one at that.

I squeeze my hands together. Everything is still real. It's almost too good to be true. A smile crosses my lips, but I realize with pained agony that everything might come to a close if I don't protect my Pokémon. I shake the little ones awake. Napoleon is kind of huffy, but Sandy is almost gloating, pleased to be awoken by the glorious sun.

As we walk I begin talking animatedly to my little family. Telling them about my family back in the real world—my family away from my new non-human family. Their eyes light up in wonder, making pleasant noises as I tell them about my younger sister Charlotte and my elder brother Matheo (muh-tay-oh).

Matheo is planning to be a doctor and Charlotte is planning to be an RN. My dad is a landscaper and my mother runs a small cafeteria not far from the campus. I was, before the accident, planning to become an interior designer. I like things to be organized. That's just how I am.

Sandy, Napoleon, and I get in a lot of training as we make our way back to Route 204, to cross to the Ravaged Path. We're informed that there are boulders inside that have to be smashed in order to get through it, but I inform the man that my only interest in the cave at this time is to catch another Pokémon.

Of one thing I am sure, Bidoof are not found in the Ravaged Path. I really don't have anything against Sandy and Sassy, but I'd rather not have a team centered around them. Setting foot in the cave, we encounter our next teammate: a male Psyduck that I name Caspian. Luck must be with us, because in the fight against Sandy, he didn't kill her. He cut her up pretty bad though with his claws.

Caspian is Docile, but likes to thrash about. He is constantly flailing his limbs as he waddles, kind of like a windmill. Most of the time though, he's smacking his hands against his head to focus. To my knowledge, Psyduck suffer from headaches of varying degrees.

"Alright guys, let's get back to training." I grin. I now have four out of six Pokémon. This means that I have two more captures before I understand the little guys. I also have an even ratio of guys and girls, with the exception that Sassy is in the PC.

"Lup." Napoleon folds his flippers and leans against my backpack. He doesn't think he needs any training. At the rate he's going I don't think he needs anymore training either. We haven't had a single casualty and I consider myself proud.

"Bi Bidoof." Sandy preens.

We train for hours. I lose track of our starting time. Caspian and Sandy duke it out with wild Pokémon in an effort to come somewhere close to the level of Napoleon. Napoleon watches fondly as his teammates grow and our family expands in strength. I know, just looking at how hard they are focusing, how strong they are trying to be, that Napoleon has informed them of their would be fate.

I feel like a hen mothering my "children". Our wonderful, yet small family is growing. Caspian and Sandy show all the gratitude of the world in being part of our family. Caspian's like the little brother everyone looks out for. Yet he's nearly as strong as Sandy and she's still in training.

We take on the last trainer on Route 204, a young lady named Samantha. She has a small, yet powerful Budew. I have to spray Sandy with a Potion as we take her on. I'm afraid if I put Napoleon or Caspian in the battle they would die. Absorb is deadly on water types. Another Potion later and we're still engaged in a heated battle.

"You really like that Absorb attack don't you?" I call to Samantha.

"Well, it is an offensive move." She laughs.

"It's a good thing Sandy isn't a water type yet." I grumble and she shrugs her shoulders.

I throw out my third Potion as Budew spams some more Absorb attacks. Finally luck pays off in our favor, Sandy crits in a Tackle and the poor bud faints.

"Great job. You're so strong. I was no match for you." Samantha blinks her eyes and I realize that she's flirting with me.

"Um... thanks." I blush as I turn back down the path. Sandy is now level 8 and Caspian is level 7. I decide that level 10 is where they both need to be before we get anywhere close to Oreburgh.

"Listen guys," I say as we make it to Route 203 yet again. "We need to pick up with the training a little bit. I want you all to be level 10 or higher before we even think about proceeding on to Oreburgh. I hear gym leaders are much stronger than our everyday average trainers."

"Lup." It's apparent that Napoleon can imagine how strong gym trainers are, but he thinks they are no match for him. Because Sandy is vain, she seems to share the same belief. However, given what I've learned so far about Pokémon and battles, I can see that in her young state she would be no match at all for a gym leader.

I suddenly blanch as I realize something. Pokémon trainers train different types of Pokémon.

"Guys, we really need to get a non water type Pokémon." I whisper.

All three Pokémon roll their eyes as if to say "you think?".

"I'm serious. I don't want to lose any of you." I place my hands on my hips. "So we need to find a new teammate and soon."

Napoleon points further east along Route 203 and I realize he's pointing at the Oreburgh Gate according to my Town Map.

"The wild Pokémon in there are Zubat, Psyduck, and Geodude. Well, let's pray it's not another Psyduck. No offense to you Caspian, but I think I'll consider myself the most unlucky trainer alive if I get another Pokémon I already have."

"Duck." Caspian shakes his head, acknowledging that he doesn't mind.

We head toward the gate, which is actually a cave, battling wild Pokémon along the way. The minute we step foot into the cave, a Zubat swoops down and grins at me. I sigh relieved. She's not a water type. In fact she's a Flying/Poison type.

Sandy aids me in capturing Sibella, the female Zubat and fifth member of our family. She's so tiny and dainty I can't help but feel the need to protect her. Her nature is Relaxed and she loves to eat. I stroke her small wings and she squeaks in content.

Sibella clings to my shoulder as we trek back to Route 203 for more training. I reach into my bag and pull out the TM Return. I think it will be the perfect move for Sibella. So I put the disc into the machine and place it around Sibella's neck. She squeaks, nodding in approval as she feels the attack being taught to her.

We continue training to our heart's content. Working hard to knock out several Pokémon that crowd the route, and being spited by several Abra utilizing Teleport. Though on one such occasion, Caspian takes one out with a critical hit Scratch attack. Sandy scores quite a few critical hits on Starly.

My blood is pounding in my veins and I am laughing to my heart's content. My team works so well together. My family is strong because we all have strong hearts. In no time at all, Sandy and Caspian are level 10 leaving room for our youngest member, Sibella, to grow by switching out in battle when things get rough for her.

For whatever reason, my confidence is singing throughout my body. I feel like I cannot be defeated. Like this whole thing is just a conspiracy and that, I too, am like the other trainers in which my Pokémon cannot die. I feel there is nothing that we cannot do.

"Arceus!" I shout to the heavens. "Thank you so much for giving me this wonderful life. I appreciate all you've done for me thus far. You truly are a wonderful god."

Every single Pokémon in my family turns their eyes toward me, suspicion suddenly clouding over them. I even feel like I can feel Sassy's eyes boring into me from within the confines of the PC.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I ask.

"Piplup. Lup." Napoleon shakes his head, and then arches it in confusion. I notice that he is looking at the sky.

"Arceus lives up there, doesn't he? You know why I'm on this journey? I was given a chance at retribution. A chance to be reborn in some sense. In the world that I live in there are no Pokémon. In the world that I live in I am laying on an uncomfortable bed dying. Yet look, I'm alive here in your world. I am alive."

Their eyes widen and they begin engaging in small talk amongst themselves. I cannot understand, nor am I sure I want to understand. All I know is I am happy. I tell them how I cannot wait to hear them speak, how once we get one more team member, their voices will be as clear to me as I'm sure my voice is to them. The language barrier will be broken.

A smile breaks across their faces. Each of them seem to be enthralled by this possibility. I collapse to the ground, suddenly exhausted from running so much in my "new" body. Napoleon rushes over, squawking like crazy and it takes me several minutes to calm him down.

"Whoa there Napoleon. It's alright. I just need to catch my breath. I'm a little dizzy from all the excitement of the day." I run an arm across my brow which is ever so slightly damp with sweat.

"Piplup, lup. Pip Piplup."

"Zubat Zu Zu Zubat." Sibella chimes in, given that she is blind and suddenly felt me drop to the ground I'm sure I scared her half to death.

"I'm not dying now. I promise guys. Look at me I'm fine."

"You're exhausted." A voice I've never heard chimes and I'm shocked to see a girl around my age with flowing lavender hair and electric blue eyes.

"Y-Yeah I guess." I'm startled, I never heard her footsteps.

"Please excuse me, I'll be right back." The girl rushes off and I stare at the space where she left. Either that girl is a vampire, or something is extremely wrong with this picture. I am almost positive that nobody can run that fast.

It's scary how accurate my description is when she comes back carrying two bottles of water, her feet barely touching the ground as she rushes over to me. A strong wind tussles my hair as she skids up to me, her hair unmoved by the actions.

"You look thirsty." She offers me the drink and I'm surprised when she flops down beside me, raising her bottle of water to her lips.

"Thanks a lot." I say as I let the cool water rush across my lips and down my throat. "This is great! Who knew water could taste so good?"

"It is pretty good isn't it?" The girl is smiling.

"If I may ask, what is your name?" I tilt my head to the side, wondering if this marvelous creature has a heartbeat.

"Oh I'm so sorry." She gets to her feet and curtsies, her hands coming to rest on her pale white dress that is flawless, not a speck of dirt anywhere. "My name is Alma."

"It's very nice to meet you Alma. My name is Darius. Are you a Pokémon trainer too?" I ask.

"Oh no, I am not a trainer. I used to be several years ago," She says and I can't help but wonder what that's supposed to mean.

I'm surprised when Napoleon begins tugging on my sleeve, one of his small eyebrows raised in confusion.

"What's wrong Napoleon?" I ask as I glance between him and Alma. He suddenly seems indifferent, as though he's caught my attention for no reason and I shrug.

Something strange is brewing and I don't know what or why.

"How would you like to travel with us?" I ask Alma and she shakes her dainty head, her hair bouncing up and down on her back.

"I couldn't bother to trouble you with that. Besides, I have places to go and people to help." She curtsies again and I feel my cheeks flushing. Part of me wants to tell her that she can help me any time, but the rest of me feels that that is wrong and sounds like something a perverted old man would say.

"Are you sure you can't stay for a while?" I ask. She shakes her head.

"I'll see you again when your Pokémon have grown a little." There's a strange tone in her voice and I sigh as she suddenly darts off, becoming nothing more than a shadow in the distance.

My heart is pounding too loudly in my chest and I know in my heart that somehow, for some reason, I am falling for that girl. She was, quite honestly, a love at first sight. A gift from the heavens.

"Pip." I glance down at Napoleon to see him shaking his head. "Lup Piplup."

"Oh come on, she's beautiful." I whisper.

Napoleon rolls his eyes. I don't have the slightest clue what he tells the other Pokémon, but all of them are wide eyed as they gaze up at me. Caspian has his hands clapped over his bill in amusement.

"Oh for Pete's sake." I get to my feet. "Let's just carry on down the road guys."

I find my thoughts drifting to Alma as we make our way down the route, battling several trainers along the way.

"Is she a vampire guys?" I ask. My Pokémon stare at me like I'm brain dead. "Is that a yes?" They all shake their heads. "That's a relief." I clutch my heart.

"Fate sure is a funny thing." I whisper as I feel Sibella clutch my shoulder tighter. Suddenly her mouth is around my throat, sucking at my neck. I groan as I feel her teeth gnash me. I wonder if she's blood thirsty. I have heard from Dexter that Zubat like blood.

I stare at the bat in confusion, as the other Pokémon begin rolling around in laughter. Sibella squeaks and hides her face in her wings, I catch the smallest bit of blood trickling from her mouth. I remove one wing to see a blush covering her cheeks. Now it's my turn for confusion.

"Why are you guys laughing at Sibella?" I ask. Napoleon, through his laughter, points his flippers between me and Sibella.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." I frown.

Caspian saves the day by placing his webbed fingers together in an awkward heart. Napoleon begins waving his flippers faster between the two of us and Sibella gets redder.

"Wait, you have a crush on me Sibella?" I ask as the Pokémon bows her head sheepishly. I touch the small "love bite" on my neck and put two and two together. "Well now this is just awkward."

"Pip Pip Pip Lup Lup Piplup." Napoleon is roaring with laughter. Even Sandy is making obnoxious noises in a laughing tone.

"Wait, how do you even have a crush on me. You can't see me." I frown at the small bat.

She climbs around me to the front of my shirt and, gripping me with her elongated fingers on one wing, she points to my heart with her wing.

"You can feel my heartbeat?" I ask as she nods her head, the blush still there. "I don't understand. I'm sorry."

She squeaks a small sigh and flutters up to my shoulder, keeping her balance by letting out a shrill shriek.

I awkwardly rub my head as we proceed down the route. I wonder if I'm just a Casanova for vampire chicks. I laugh inwardly. Something is strange in the atmosphere, then again, my Pokémon said that Alma isn't a vampire. At least that's a little reassuring.

As we carry on down the route, we pass by various trainers that engage us in battles. All of my Pokémon are level 10 or higher by the time we reach Oreburgh City. We locate the gym, find the leader has run off to the Oreburgh Mine, and proceed to said mine to convince him to come back to the gym so that we can battle him.

-_ –

[ ]

**Me:** And thus concludes chapter three of Scales of Fate. In case you are wondering, the chapter title of the first chapter doesn't really seem to fit it, given that retribution is a punishment, but if you recall that this is a Nuzlocke, what Arceus is doing is in some sense retribution. Also, as the chapters progress, the retribution becomes more clear until it reaches its close at the would be end of the story. As stated before in the other chapters, the end of this is in your hands. There are two possible endings. You'll understand when we're almost to the "last" chapter.

In the next chapter Darius and the team find themselves in the Oreburgh Mine—home to their sixth Pokémon? I guess we'll just have to find out and see, given that these chapters are pretty much in sync with my Nuzlocke on Platinum.

Also, to leave this up for speculation, what are your thoughts on Alma? She'll play a pretty important role based on the ending of this story. Although, depending on how many people vote for which ending once we get to that point, she will play more or less of a role. I'm half tempted to give two epilogues for the story based on how many votes each ending gets. One epilogue for one ending and the other for the other.

So yeah, read, review, and spread the news. Join us again for our next chapter.

~Tiny Ginger Heather


	4. Heartbreak Warfare

**Chapter 4: Heartbreak Warfare**

The sun is beginning to fade out in the sky as we make our way into the mine, a worker having given us hardhats as we entered. I can't control the small bit of rock dust that trickles into my lungs, making me cough violently.

As we push further into the mine, I trip over a Pokémon landing head first on the ground. I let out an "oof" as the Pokémon sticks out an arm to help me up. I don't know if it's luck or some twist of fate, but the Pokémon we come face to face with is a Geodude.

I toss a Poké Ball at her before Caspian can even so much as think of attacking her. The ball automatically confirms capture and our "sixth" family member is confirmed.

"Welcome to the team Pebbles." I announce as I sheepishly rub the back of my head. "Sorry about stepping on you like that.

"That's quite alright." Pebbles shrugs indifferently, flexing her small arms.

"Holy shit." I gasp. I realize that the deal was once I got six Pokémon I could hear them all clearly, but hearing them clearly is still enough to make me step back a little.

"I beg your pardon. Are you alright?" Pebbles scratches her head sheepishly.

"He can understand us now. He's got some sort of strange fate in our world that was granted to him from Arceus. I always thought he just had amnesia, but I'm starting to put two and two together." Napoleon laughs.

"Darius, can you hear us, really? Oh this is quite wonderful." Sandy beams. "Now I can tell you just how wonderful of a Bidoof I am. Quite a lot stronger than my cousin Sassy aren't I?"

"D-Darius. You c-can hear us?" Sibella stammers.

"What a relief. Now I don't have to pretend like I enjoy trying to translate stuff given that, up until Pebbles joined us, I was the only one with hands of sorts." Caspian chuckles.

"Caspian, I have "hands" too." Sibella announces, flexing the fingertips on her wings. "They just don't reach very far."

My head is spinning. I never thought I'd be able to hear them all so fluently. Not once in my time here, even after the talk with Arceus, could I have imagined it to be like this.

"Can you hear them?" I ask a worker of the mine, my heart pounding crazy fast in my chest.

"Kid, have you lost your mind? Pokémon don't talk." The man scratches the back of his head.

"We forgot to mention that very few other humans have the ability to communicate with us, much less their own Pokémon, like you do." Sibella coos.

"I feel like I'm living some sort of crazy dream." I mumble under my breath.

"Aye, kid. You should get some help with that. Thinking that you are talking to Pokémon and all." The worker calls.

I raise my finger into the air in a formal "piss off" salute. I am not in the mood for assholes. Right now I am torn between wanting to run off a cliff and be back in my comatose body. Yet at the same time, I don't really mind.

"Oh he doesn't like being able to hear us. I'm so sorry." Sibella squeaks. For a Relaxed Pokémon, she sure is flighty—literally.

"Whoa calm down. It's not that. It's just... I feel strange being the only person in this vicinity who can talk to my Pokémon. Especially given the possibility of our fate—er your fate."

"We'll stay by your side no matter what. We're your family too Darius." Sandy grins.

"I know. Thanks you guys." I stroke each of their heads, hoisting myself back up and walking with them further down the cave.

"Hey Darius, given that I was your starter and everything, am I your favorite?" Napoleon asks, tilting his beak up to me in a questioning manor.

"Oh no. Don't play this with me Mr. I don't do favorites."

"Aw come on. You have got to love one of us more than the others." Napoleon grins. He elbows Sibella, who is flying low with the others and she turns scarlet once more.

"Enough with picking on Sibella. I'm okay with her strange little one-sided crush on me. It's not like it's harmful or anything."

The other Pokémon just laugh. I shake my head as a trainer calls out to us for a battle. The battle is quick and painless. Caspian takes out the Geodude with one Water Gun to the face and proceeds to reach level 12.

We reach the end of the cave and observe a man with red hair and glasses smashing rocks with a Pokémon's fists. He glances up at us and grins.

"You see what I'm doing? I'm using Rock Smash to destroy rocks that are in the way. You could do this too if you had the badge from the leader."

"Yeah I'm here to look for the leader." I respond as Sibella flutters up onto my head.

"You're looking at him." My mouth hands open. "The name is Roark. It's nice to meet you challenger. I'll see you back at my gym for a battle."

He saunters off before I can even register anything. Then again, his Pokémon were just smashing boulders. That must be part of the strength of a gym leader.

We begin heading back through the cave, training hard along the way. Caspian flexes his claws.

"Level 13. This is awesome. I can feel my power increasing the more I'm with you Darius." His beak is twisted into a smile. It's kind of hard to imagine, but it's really funny and fills me with joy.

"Thanks Caspian. I'm glad to have you on my team and in my family."

We trek up to route 207 to catch our next Pokémon and it is apparent luck is not with me.

"Welcome to the family Ricky." I announce to the new male Geodude. "Unfortunately, I do not want repeats in this team at this time. So I'm going to ship you off to the PC. No hard feelings."

"No worries bro. Whatever is best for you." He flashes me a thumbs up and I smile.

We head back down to Oreburgh, pumped and ready for our gym battle. I stop by the Pokémon Center and place Ricky into the PC with Sassy. I think the two will get along.

We push open the doors of the gym and are shocked to see two trainers lined up, blocking our way from Roark.

"You must defeat them before you can face me." Roark calls.

"Yes sir." I respond.

The first trainer's Geodude just barely survives a Bubble from Napoleon. He goes down with another Bubble to the face and Napoleon proceeds to reach level 13 as well.

The second trainer has a Geodude and an Onix. The Onix is still no competition for Napoleon, as after he falls Napoleon reaches level 14.

My eyes lock with Roark's as we take our sides of the battlefield. My legs are like jelly, I'm really nervous and afraid that I'm going to mess something up. I feel Napoleon's flipper on my pant leg and look down.

"We can do this. I have faith in you Darius." Napoleon winks and I feel the strength that ties all of my Pokémon and I together—the will to defend our family.

"Bubble." I shout as Roark sends out a Geodude. It doesn't get a chance to blink before it is down and out.

Roark's next Pokémon is an Onix. It starts the battle off with Stone Edge, which I find out to be a move that affects Pokémon switched into battle. I start the battle with a Bubble and proceed to try to take the Onix out with a Pound. Roark heals him and I settle for a Bubble, which turns out to be critical as well as super effective.

Napoleon grows to level 15 and I teach him Peck attack. We are then faced with the last Pokémon Roark has, a Cranidos which seems to emanate power from its body.

"Bubble!" I shout.

"Pursuit." Roark calls.

"Bubble again!" I order.

Napoleon launches a Bubble attack after just barely surviving a Headbutt to the chest. Cranidos is down and out from the Bubble.

"Congratulations. You have defeated me fair and square. I admire your little Pokémon very much. Here is your first badge, the Coal Badge."

My Pokémon and I are ecstatic as he hands us the badge that is oddly shaped like a Poké Ball.

"Thanks so much Roark." I grin.

"You're very welcome. Continue to do well on your journey Darius." He grins at me and I grin back.

We step out the doors and into the light of the setting sun. I begin to train Pebbles, Sandy, and Sibella a little bit before we head back to the Ravaged Path. It's becoming windy.

"Sibella, use the wind to your advantage. I know we don't have any flying moves yet, but just keep doing what you're doing best."

"Will do Darius." She calls.

There are quite a few wild Machop on Route 207 that I'm afraid to send Pebbles and Sandy against, so we work Sibella into the training too. I teach Rock Smash to Pebbles.

I head back to Jubilife and am almost to Route 204 once again when I notice a man with a twitchy mustache and a young girl being picked on by a bunch of weirdos with blue hair and gray and black striped outfits.

"What seems to be the problem?" I ask.

"Darius, just in the knick of time. These jerks are threatening Dawn." The old man with the twitchy mustache glances over his shoulder at me as a blue haired jerk grabs a hold on the girl's arm.

"Excuse me, but how do you know me?" I stare at the man blankly, my thoughts wandering as I try to grasp his face. I have a strange feeling I've seen him before.

"Have you forgotten about me already?" He humphs and then smiles. "I'm the professor you received Napoleon from. My name is Rowan."

"Oh." I try to process this information and suddenly it hits me like a ton of bricks, forcing me to step back.

"Let's get back to business you old geezer." One of the blue haired punks glares at me.

"Hey, just because I'm only now remembering the professor does not mean you can talk to him in such a way. He may be old, but he's full of wisdom." I pry the other guy's fingers off Dawn's shoulder.

"I'll say." Napoleon smiles as he looks at his former owner.

"I demand you pay attention to us." The first guy stomps his foot and throws a tantrum. "Comply with our orders and hand over your knowledge to us."

I roll my eyes. "Why would anyone give information to thugs like you?"

"You wanna go punk?" The guy rolls up his sleeves as the other guy attempts to calm him down.

"Hey kids, don't grow up to be like these outlandish idiots." The professor turns his back on them.

"No worries. We're better than that." Dawn and I laugh.

"Let's battle together, Darius. We haven't had a battle together ever before. You're familiar with tag battles?"

"Not in the least." I shrug my shoulders. "But I'm willing to give it a try."

Dawn smiles and we call out our Pokémon. Sandy's by my side and Chimchar's by Dawn's. The team Galactic—as they inform us—grunts send out a Glameow and a Stunky. I start off the battle with a Growl as the Stunky begins working its Fury Swipes on Chimchar. Glameow follows suit with Scratch.

"Tackle." I shout to Sandy. She rushes the Glameow, nearly taking it out in one hit. Chimchar uses Ember on the Stunky.

Stunky proceeds to leave Chimchar with one HP left from its Fury Swipes. Chimchar aids Sandy and takes out Glameow, leaving Sandy no choice but to Tackle Stunky. Stunky proceeds to use Poison Gas on Sandy, which leaves her poisoned. Chimchar manages to wrap up the battle and Sandy is unharmed. She grows to level 13 and learns Rollout.

"You leave us no option but to retreat." The Galactic grunts pout and storm off up Route 204.

"Those rude people are from Team Galactic. It appears when Pokémon evolve they release some kind of energy. I believe it's a mystic power beyond our control. Team Galactic appears to be studying the power's potential. They want to use the energy for something." The professor frowns.

"The professor studies Pokémon evolution. He says almost 90% of all Pokémon can evolve. How cool!" Dawn cheers.

"Well, they are gone for now. Still, I thank you two for battling and handling that situation as though it were nothing. You're really rather strong Darius, I think you'll become a much better trainer if you can obtain all the badges of Sinnoh." The professor rambles.

"Yes sir." I frown. Isn't that what my goal was from the start?

The professor wanders away with Dawn at his heels like a lost puppy dog leaving me to go back to my training. I head back to the Pokémon Center to heal Sandy and my other Pokémon, a little afraid she was going to die from the poison in her system.

We exit the Ravaged Path and I come face to face with a trainer named Taylor. She's carrying a Budew and a Cherubi in her arms.

"Would you care for a battle?" She asks.

"Sure." I nod as Sibella takes to the air. "Supersonic, Sibella."

My bat opens her mouth and ultrasonic waves hit the Budew, making it confused. It retaliates with an Absorb that does hardly any damage. I follow it up with Leech Life. Budew proceeds to hurt herself in her confusion.

"Sibella, Return."

"Yes master." Sibella's wings begin glowing as she smashes into the Budew, causing a bunch of damage.

The Budew hurts itself again in an attempt to attack, smacking its face into the ground and struggling to get up. One more Return and it's down. Taylor calls out Cherubi and I grin. I start the battle off with Supersonic again, a tad afraid of the tiny bud. However, it hurts itself on its first attempt to attack.

"My lovely Pokémon are putting up quite a fight are they not? But your little bat is oh so strong." She giggles.

"I am strong aren't I?" Sibella grins a little bit.

"Leech Life." I order. Sibella follows my commands without flaw.

"Leech Seed, darling." Taylor calls to Cherubi.

"Return." I shout.

It's apparent the battle is serious as Sibella's health gets slowly sapped by the Leech Seed.

"Leech Life."

"Tackle."

"Return."

"Tackle."

"Return!"

"Tackle!"

That was my last mistake. Sibella winces as the seed binding her saps the remainder of her health. My hands are shaking at my side, my heart pounding in my chest.

"S-Sibella?" I call as I rush to her side.

"Call out your next Pokémon."

"Shut up!" I shout. I flinch at the tone of my voice and I notice Taylor is flinching as well. Tears are spilling from my eyes, I wipe them away as hastily as I can. Sibella's chest is faltering, but she's still alive... for now.

"Darius, I'm so sorry. Don't forget about me. I love you." She reaches up one tangled wing and wipes away my tears before the only sound between us is the strangled sobs racking through my chest.

"Sibella. Sibella no. Arceus why!" I scream to the heavens as I coddle my dead Pokémon. "Arceus why..."

"I'm so sorry for your loss." Taylor whispers.

"D-Don't talk to me you murderer." My voice is cold, like a knife cutting the thick air. Heat is coursing through my body as I clutch Sibella's to my own.

"Unfortunately I can't show you too much remorse, we're still in a battle." Taylor calls.

"Sandy, kill that Cherubi." My voice is anything other than kind as my Pokémon all make whimpering noises around me.

Sandy shakily steps onto the field, her paws like lead as she stares at the murderer. The tiny little smiling pink bud. She doesn't know what hit her as Sandy slams her with the hardest Tackle I've seen yet, so hard blood starts to pour from its wounds.

"The flowers... they are smiling for you." Taylor calls as I walk past her, up the route a little ways beside some trees and flowers.

I sink to the ground, words catching in my throat. My Pokémon are at my side, digging up the land under one tree. My heart feels like a stake has been driven through it and I feel like I'm becoming a monster. I brush tears out of my eyes with my dirty fists as we finally dig a large enough hole in the ground and cover it with fresh earth.

I take a stick and begin writing in the earth around it, placing a flower atop her grave. I write the words that come to mind "Here lies Sibella. A wonderful gal with a smile that lit up the world. Lv 5-11."

My Pokémon's thoughts appear to be as loud as my own. Just six levels to her life. Six levels. She was so close to reaching level 12 and then level 13 in which she would learn her first ever flying move.

"I'm so sorry guys." I whisper as I stare around at my Pokémon, each of them having tears in their eyes. "I was so foolish. I should have... I could have used that Super Potion. I could have saved her."

"It was her will." Pebbles looks to the sky. We all let out our shaky breaths and proceed up the route, our family short one member. We are forced to pick up the pieces of our breaking hearts.

-.-

_Lightning strikes  
Inside my chest to keep me up at night  
Dream of ways  
To make you understand my pain_

Clouds of sulfur in the air  
Bombs are falling everywhere  
It's heartbreak warfare  
Once you want it to begin,  
No one really ever wins  
In heartbreak warfare

If you want more love why don't you say so?  
If you want more love why don't you say so?

Drop his name  
Push it in and twist the knife again  
Watch my face  
As I pretend to feel no pain, pain, pain..

Clouds of sulfur in the air  
Bombs are falling everywhere  
It's heartbreak warfare  
Once you want it to begin,  
No one really ever wins  
In heartbreak warfare.

If you want more love why don't you say so?  
If you want more love why don't you say so?

Just say so...

How come the only way to know how high you get me is to see how far I fall?  
God only knows how much I'd love you if you let me but I can't break through it all.

It's a heart... heartbreak...

I don't care if we don't sleep at all tonight  
Let's just fix this whole thing now  
I swear to God we're gonna get it right  
If you lay your weapon down  
Red wine and ambient  
You're talking shit again, it's heartbreak warfare  
Good to know it's all a game  
Disappointment has a name, it's heartbreak, heartbreak.

It's heartbreak warfare  
It's heartbreak warfare  
It's heartbreak warfare 

-_ –

[ ]

**Me: **I had to. I just had to finish this chapter with Heartbreak Warfare by John Mayer. Holy crap, I like blinked for a minute when I heard the ping of Sibella's health drop to 4. I thought she could rush with Return and strike first. I think the Cherubi managed to strike first, however and in the end Sibella was lost.

To be completely honest, this first death probably hit me a little less than Darius. Don't get me wrong, Sibella was and still is one of my favorite Pokémon. However it's almost like a repeat to me, because in a previous Platinum Nuzlocke Run in which I only got to the second badge before everything fell apart (why is it always the second badge for me?) I had a Zubat named Vespa. She died at the hands of Team Galactic's Stunky in the Valley Windworks. So I guess I had a bad feeling she was going to die, it was just unfortunate she didn't make it very far.

And don't you just love it how Arceus doesn't come down to comfort Darius as he faces his first death in his small family? As the story progresses we'll get more of a feel on Arceus and how Darius and him get along. We'll also run into Alma here and there.

Any comments, questions, etc.? Please review. I'd really appreciate it. I see people reading this story on my traffic, but nobody reviews. Is it bad or something? Well, I mean it is bad in a morbid sense, but hey, that's just me.

~Heather the tiny ginger (or at least in the eyes of Jordan)


	5. Our Fair Lady

**Chapter 5: Our Fair Lady**

It took several minutes before I could muster the strength to get back to my feet and carry on down the route. I could hear the sounds of my Pokémon talking amongst themselves about how sorry they were for making fun of Sibella for her crush on me. If anything, I didn't mind. I thought it was really kind of cute; to know you're loved by someone and all.

"Hey you there. How about a battle?" A kid is leaning up against a tree, a net over his shoulder and a small twinkle in his eyes.

"I don't really feel like it. I'm grieving." I can just imagine how my appearance is reflected in the kid's eyes.

"You don't look so good, but you know what really helps to distract people from their grief? Battling. How about it man?" The kid's adamant, I'll give him that.

"Alright fine." Pebbles steps in front of me as the kid sends out a Wurmple.

Well, at least it can't get a super effective hit on her.

"Chill out Darius, I've got this." Pebbles flashes me a thumbs up and winks.

"Go for it Pebbles." I shrug my shoulders. "Rock Throw."

The Wurmple the bug catcher threw out didn't have a chance. One rock to the head and it was down and out. His next Pokémon was a Kricketot. A noisy little thing. It started the battle off with Bide, but fell victim to the first Rock Throw Pebbles used.

"See, you're really strong. That's something to be proud of." He grins at me.

I shake my head, a slight frown etched in my face. "I may be strong, but I'm not strong enough."

I shrug my backpack on my shoulders a bit and carry on down the route, being greeted by a set of twins.

"We can one shot you." The first girl giggles.

"We're the strongest in our class." The second mocks.

They clasp hands and call out two Pachirisu. Pebbles and Sandy take their places on the field. I don't hesitate.

"Rock Throw and Growl." I shout out.

"Double Quick Attack." The twins call.

"Double Tackle." I shout.

The battle wages on for a while until we take out one Pachirisu. Sandy is the only one getting physically attacked throughout the battle, however. It's kind of frustrating. I call out for a double Defense Curl, given that the Pachirisu is utilizing Bide. I'm afraid of the outcome. Fortunately, the Pachirisu attacks Pebbles and doesn't kill off Sandy.

Two more double Tackles and we take the other Pachirisu out. Sighing and walking up the route, we make it to the Pokémon Center. I collapse on a couch and begin napping, my Pokémon cuddled around me.

-_ –

[ ]

"Welcome to Floaroma Town." A woman grins as I stifle a yawn, I could hardly sleep after the stress of yesterday.

"Hi." I murmur.

"Do you know about Gracidea flowers? They're given as bouquets to express feelings of gratitude. It's an endearing tradition around these parts. Isn't that amazing? Doesn't that just fill you with joy?" The woman is elbowing me hard in the chest with each statement and I sigh.

"That's wonderful ma'am. If you don't mind, I really need to get back to training. I'm not good enough right now and..."

"Oh nonsense. You look like a sensible trainer. I think you have strong morals of right and wrong." The woman blathers on and finally I get mad and turn back down to Route 204 for some intense training.

Napoleon is leaning against a tree, watching the others work their way up to his level.

"Darius, why don't we go get another new member of the family?" Napoleon pipes up as he glances at me as I pound a tree in frustration. We're working hard, but is it enough?

"It's too soon," I say. I feel as though it is a little sudden to be replacing Sibella.

"We're not replacing her. Just the spot she had in the team. She'll always be part of our family." Napoleon glances towards the sky and I see tears in his eyes.

"Oh Napoleon." I sigh. "Fine. Let's just go up to the Valley Windworks and get ourselves a new teammate."

I wince as he war whoops. The silly little guy. He's so ecstatic about our family it kind of fills me with joy. So we set our sights on Valley Windworks, walking as happy as we can. No sooner than we step foot onto the route, we encounter a male Pachirisu.

"Bucky." I smile as I hold up my Poké Ball and allow him to be introduced into the team. Bucky is Impish and highly curious—an awful combination.

"Hi everyone." He grins, his protruding tooth makes him and Sandy the best of friends.

"Gnaw buddies." Sandy laughs as Bucky nods his head, chuckling.

I laugh in spite of myself. I guess it wasn't such a bad idea after all to pick up a new teammate. As we walk and train I hear the others talking, but it's like a blur as my mind is still reeling on the loss of Sibella. She had so much potential, so much hope. I let it all slip away.

"...and then I said 'Ooh Sibella is in love.'" Sandy chuckles.

"That's hilarious." Bucky guffaws.

"So, do you like playing tricks on people and being mischievous?" Sandy asks.

"You bet I do." Bucky grins.

"Let's have a race. First one to the bridge wins. Clearly that will be me." Sandy laughs.

"Guys don't stray too far." I shout as Bucky and Sandy take off at top speed to the bridge.

"I thought Bidoof were supposed to be a derpy breed." Pebbles puts a finger to her cheek in confusion.

"Love is in the air." Napoleon looks out across the bridge at the two rodents.

"What do you mean?" I scratch my head.

"I mean come on, have you ever seen Sandy so playful?" Napoleon points a flipper as Sandy jumps onto Bucky's stomach, the two of them collapsing in a fit of giggles.

"Well, no. That doesn't mean that they're in love." I shrug.

"You have a lot to learn Darius. A lot to learn." Pebbles chuckles.

"Hey Sandy look at me." Bucky uses Quick Attack and rushes up my shoulder.

"I could do it too if I tried." Sandy pouts.

"If you had it bred down with you." Pebbles laughs.

"I'm a super Bidoof." Sandy announces.

"What's a super Bidoof?" I ask. "Is that an evolution?"

"A super Bidoof is a figment of Sandy's imagination. She made it up because she thinks she's the greatest Pokémon ever." Napoleon rolls his eyes.

"Just watch me. I can feel it. I'm so close to evolution you could blink and I'd evolve into a super Bibarel." Sandy sticks out her tongue.

"Bibarel is the evolved form of Bidoof." Bucky grins as he climbs onto my head, putting his head in his hands. "Just think how big her teeth will be when she evolves again."

I swear I hear Bucky sigh and I'm a little surprised.

"Bucky will never evolve. He has no evolutionary line." Napoleon laughs as he spits a Bubble at Bucky.

"Hey. I'm still strong." Bucky pouts.

"Tell that to me when you can knock me on my ass with an electric attack."

"Your derrière is in my hands." Bucky shouts.

"Tell that to me when you get to be my level." Napoleon laughs. "Oh wait, you won't because I'm a "super" Piplup."

"Why you." Bucky frowns.

"Quit fighting." I glare at them all. "Let's just get back to training. You're all a bit frustrating right now."

As we train, Sandy nearly gets taken out by a female Pachirisu. She lives, however and teaches the young lady just who is the stronger female. Sandy takes out a level 10 Buizel and grows to level 15. A blinding white light suddenly cloaks her and I'm shocked.

"What's going on?" I shield my eyes.

"Evolution." Bucky's eyes are twinkling. "Look at Sandy now."

The light fades away and in the place of my small little Bidoof is a 3'03" Bibarel; a beaver that can stand on its hind legs.

"Check me out." Sandy twirls around gazing at her new tail in admiration.

"Already doing so." Bucky's got hearts in his eyes as he puts his hands to his cheek sacks in adoration.

Napoleon is pouting, but I can tell he's proud.

"Sandy, now you're my level but you're already evolved. How unfair."

"How noble of you." Sandy laughs as she pats Napoleon on the head. "I topped you big brother and look, now I'm your type."

Napoleon can't help a grin. Caspian is eerily silent, and I notice his arms aren't windmilling like usual.

"What's wrong Caspian?" I ask as I bend to his level and try to meet his eyes.

"It won't be long until pretty much all of the team evolves. Bucky will never evolve, but I will be the last to evolve. I don't evolve until level 33." Caspian sighs as he stares into the pond.

"The time will come when you will evolve before you know it. I'm sure." I grin at him.

"If you say so." Caspian shrugs his shoulders.

"How about we all get back to training. Napoleon, you'll be evolving soon right? Let's get you to that point. Evolution will make you stronger, and you won't be quite as tiny as you are now."

Napoleon huffs and I notice the height differences between all my Pokémon. Sandy is the tallest followed by Caspian. Pebbles, Napoleon, and Bucky are all tied at 1'04".

We set back to training. The Valley Windworks is a great place to practice. We're helping to train Bucky against the wild Pokémon and he isn't fairing too well. So I switch him out with Napoleon in a wild Shellos battle. The battle ends with Napoleon evolving into Prinplup.

"You never told me you had Pickup ability." I glance down at Bucky as he hands me a Repel.

"You never asked." Bucky laughs.

"Let's set a goal right now for how strong we have to be before we storm the Windworks and save the father of the young girl we met earlier. How about level 18?"

"Sounds good." Napoleon flexes his elongated flippers.

The training ensues. Bucky takes out his first Pokémon on his own, a Buizel. Not wanting Bucky to get taken out by a Shellos, I try to figure out who to switch him out with.

"Allow me." Pebbles steps forward.

"You're weak against that thing!" I shout as she pushes Bucky aside and assumes her place on the field.

"I can take it." Pebbles winks.

Pebbles doesn't get a chance to attack, one Water Pulse is all it takes before Pebbles is nothing more than dust in the wind. Her last words are "forgive me". I fall to my knees, shaking like a leaf.

"Caspian. Take her place." I shout.

Several Scratch attacks and Water Guns later, the Shellos falls.

"Poor Pebbles." Caspian clutches his head as he drops to his webbed feet, bowing over a small rock that was part of Pebbles' body.

"She was our soul sister." Sandy's eyes are full of tears. "Now I'm the only female aside from Sassy... and Sassy's not on our team."

"We're not going into that building until we're all level 20." I brush my eyes with my fists. I take a stick and scrawl into the dirt beside the grassy patch "here lies Pebbles. With a heart so strong it shattered ours. Level 6-14."

"Pebbles was going to be our only defense against Stunky." Napoleon sighs.

"I liked her." Bucky's voice is dripping with sympathy.

It takes several minutes before I force myself up off the ground and we begin plowing through the grass like a steam engine. We make our way back to the Pokémon Center to heal Bucky and I remember my PC. My heart is heavy, but I decide we have no choice. I press a few buttons on the box and bring Ricky to take his place on the team.

"Hey guys. What's happening?" Ricky grins.

"Ricky, I need you to do your absolute best. We need you to replace Pebbles in the team." I shrug my backpack a little.

"What, why?" His face falls.

"She's dead. So is Sibella." Sandy's eyes are downcast.

"Sandy? Wow if Sassy saw you now she'd be proud." Ricky tries to lighten the mood, but I can see he's grieving. Pebbles was Ricky's big sister.

"You know I'm the top Bibarel out there." Sandy flashes Ricky a thumbs up.

"The best of the best." Ricky bumps fists with Sandy.

We're back to training to our heart's desire. Bucky is our go-to Pokémon for taking down Budew in the wild due to him being the only Pokémon on our team without a weakness to them. Chaos comes when Bucky learns Spark several hours into our training.

"Look at me. I've can feel current running through my body." His cheeks are radiating a blue spark that he sends off in all directions.

"Be careful with that. Don't you know it's dangerous to be producing current like that?" Napoleon leers down at him.

"You're just sore because you know I'm stronger than you now." Bucky sticks out his tongue and yanks down his eyelid.

"Excuse me!" Napoleon is glaring down at Bucky.

"You know it's true." Bucky snickers and sends a small current into Napoleon's body.

"Why you... Don't you know it's not nice to attack your teammates?" Napoleon growls.

"Don't know what you're talking about."

Another Spark does it. Napoleon's flippers glow silvery as the tip hardens like a claw. Bucky turns around, still laughing, and gets a good Metal Claw to his derrière. I put my head in my hands. Trying to calm my Pokémon is like trying to calm a raging hurricane—it just won't happen.

"Bucky." Sandy's voice is frantic and it isn't until I open my eyes I notice the long scratch with blood oozing out of it on Bucky's tail. Sandy's wrapped the squirrel into her arms and is glaring at Napoleon. "I thought you said attacking our teammates is forbidden."

"I was just trying to teach him a lesson."

"Why don't you just go off on your own and listen to yourself preach!" Sandy shouts.

Napoleon casts his eyes down as he wanders away from the group, plopping down against a tree a ways away, his eyes shut at the thought that Sandy doesn't want him around her and his lonely nature is truly taking hold.

"Guys enough. We're all a family. This isn't how it's supposed to be." I take out a bandanna from my backpack and wrap it snuggly around Bucky's tail.

"But Bucky's hurt." Sandy whines.

"Bucky kind of deserved it. He was purposefully picking a fight with him." Ricky defends.

"Then Napoleon deserves to be cast aside." Sandy bares her bucktooth.

"Shut up." My voice is cold and all my Pokémon flinch. "Do you even know anything about each other? Really? There's a reason Napoleon has a lonely nature. He watched his mother die by the hand of poachers. When I first got him I had to coax him out of his Poké Ball. He wouldn't come out after the scars of his past."

My family is silent. After a few minutes, Bucky and Sandy rush over and apologize to Napoleon. I notice his eyes are different, almost lonelier even after he forgives them and they run off to be together. Bucky clambers onto Sandy's head and the two share some laughs as they play.

"We're a family. We should all stay together." I try to reason as Napoleon stares at his flippers, flopped down beside me with his legs stretched out.

"Darius, do you understand why Sandy snapped like that?" His eyes are still down as he asks the question.

"Well sure. Sandy's the only female now so she's kind of like the mother."

Napoleon slaps his flipper to his head.

"That's not the case at all." He looks up at me. "Look at them, really look at them."

I stop and stare and suddenly I see it. At first it's faint, but it grows stronger the more I watch them rolling around, Sandy tossing Bucky gently in the air and spinning him around. The smiles on their faces and the way their cheeks are tinged a rosy pink.

"I wish I could be like that." Napoleon's voice wavers as I glance sadly at him.

"You will find a mate. I'm sure." I pat his head.

"Someday maybe. If I make it that long." Napoleon glances at the sky.

"I won't let anyone die anymore. We're going to get strong. We're going to be the very best."

"Promises aren't forever." I concede defeat as I feel the sting of his words. Sibella and Pebbles flash through my head, their deaths playing out as I sigh.

A wind blows the grass as we just lie there, taking a break from it all. From all of the nightmares we've endured and the nightmares that are yet to come.

-_ –

[ ]

**Me: **My stupidity grows. So for whatever reason, I accidentally sent Pebbles into battle against a wild Shellos. Why I thought this would work for even a second I don't know. All I know is it was a quick and painless death I'm sure. Super effective Water Pulse... yeah.

Anyways, this chapter was supposed to be a kind of dedication to Sandy and Sibella. Sandy due to her evolution and Sibella due to her death and the memories it caused. The last part with Bucky and Napoleon I can just see happening. Bucky's Impish and known for his mischievous ways. As soon as he learned Spark he was taking out wild Pokémon after wild Pokémon.

Oh and I guess I didn't really specify in the previous chapters, but for me my Nuzlocke works like this: fight every wild Pokémon you run into no matter what. No repels allowed. If a Pokémon on your team loses against a wild Pokémon by fainting it is considered dead.

"Promises aren't forever." Is probably the strongest point Napoleon makes throughout his speeches. He tries to be the wisest given that he's the oldest (having been around Darius the longest). It makes Darius reflect on how after Sibella's death he was so confident that he wasn't going to let anyone else die and then Pebbles joined her in the afterlife as a "sacrifice".

Also, don't you sometimes feel that the Pokémon in the games have their natures for a reason? Like there's a history behind every one of them. I gave some background to why Napoleon's lonely. His mother was murdered in front of him when he was young. Napoleon also is lonely because Sandy and Bucky (despite not being talked about much) are in love. They haven't really expressed their feelings to each other.

Darius thinks that Sandy is just mothering Bucky at first, because in the "real world" he never had a girlfriend. However, as he watches the tenderness that unfolds he sees their relationship as it really is. Also, despite it not being mentioned because, hey, why do that? (just kidding) Ricky learns Magnitude in this chapter or at least at the point of this chapter.

This chapter concludes with Bucky lv 13, Caspian lv 13, Ricky lv 15, Sandy lv 15, and Napoleon lv 16. lol Peace out everyone. Catch you next chapter.

~Heather the tiny ginger


End file.
